Nadeau Co-Introduces Vision Zero Omnibus

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CM Brianne K. Nadeau joins CM Allen and majority of the Council to reform and accelerate safe streets projects

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• Requires the District Department of Transportation and the Mayor to submit a Multimodal Transportation Plan to the Council every two years, to include:

  • A plan to get to 50% of commutes by public transit and an additional 25% by cycling and walking by 2032 

  • Identify areas in need of improved transit access

  • A list of at least one street or one bus line in each ward that will get a dedicated transit lane

  • Additional plan elements as required by the Council

• Creates a standardized project delivery process for street infrastructure projects to create more planning predictability and more swift project delivery

• Requires all DDOT capital projects to implement recommendations of the Transportation Plan, to increase road safety, or to increase transit equity

• Bans right turns on red

• Requires new development to include plans to deal with ride-sharing pick-up and drop-off, and deliveries, in a way that will not create unsafe conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists 

• Imposes $10,000 per day fines if a development leaves previously marked crosswalks or bike lanes unmarked more than 24 hours after finishing the project

• Creates a pilot program for 10 residents of each ward to use an app on their phone to photograph obstruction of bike lanes, cross walks, or bus stops

  • Allows DPW to mail citations generated by the pilot program

Councilmember Nadeau's Full Remarks:

 

I'm very excited to be co-introducing the Vision Zero Enhancement Omnibus ​Act with Councilmember Allen and my colleagues.

 

This bill would finally codify the MoveDC plan for multimodal transportation improvements and would require a standardization of DDOT's project selection and delivery process. 

 

Doing so brings our goal of zero deaths and fatalities on our roads into much better alignment with our various transportation planning efforts. 

 

It will also go a long way towards living up to our stated ideals on safe, livable streets.

 

That safety is something every one of our residents deserves, but many don’t receive. As we’ve seen, DC’s Black and Hispanic residents and those living in lower-income communities are most frequently at risk of death or serious injury on our roads and sidewalks. Women and people of color are also the fastest-growing groups of bicycle commuters. 

 

After the tragic deaths of Dave Salovesh and Abdul Seck I wrote to the Mayor outlining specific policy ideas that will make all road users safer. Sadly, just last Friday, Joshua Williams killed on Southern Avenue SE.

 

I wish we could have done the work years ago that would have saved those and many other lives. But this bill is a significant step in fulfilling the policy commitments I made in that letter to the Mayor, along with other bills the Council is now considering.

 

A continual source of frustration for my constituents, myself, and many of my colleagues on this council, is the frequency at which projects are watered down or abandoned at the first sign of resistance. 

 

Improving our streets to the standards of a twenty-first century city will save lives, build more thriving communities, and move us towards our sustainability goals to avoid climate crisis. 

 

This bill will empower DDOT to do the work it needs and will require us all to take this mission seriously. I look forward to working together as a Council to advance this legislation.